Growing Together
by amal95
Summary: A year after the Final Battle, a marriage law is passed. Can Hermione and Neville find love and help each other to conquer their hardest challenges? Mostly DH compliant, except for the epilogue! Rated M for later chapters.
1. Hermione

Hermione sat near the pond at the Burrow, her nose tucked into _Hogwarts, A History_. Her old copy, purchased at Flourish and Blotts when she was only eleven, had survived with her for seven long years. It served the same purpose for her than Molly Weasley's cooking served for Ron—comfort for the soul.

As she turned the pages of her weathered copy, she thought back over the previous years since she had learned that she was a witch. There was her first year at Hogwarts, the year when she, full of energy and pure joy for life, had found her calling in life. She had, for the first time in her life, made friends. Before Hogwarts, Hermione had always been an outcast, her magical tendencies driving Muggle children to see her as a freak. Childhood had been hard for Hermione, despite her loving family. Harry and Ron were like the brothers she had never had, and they were true friends to her. Despite a rocky start to their relationship, after the incident with the troll they had accepted her as one of them, and she had never looked back. Those two boys had been there with her just about every step of the way. Barring the few moments in their teen years when they had let irrational emotions get the best of them, Harry and Ron were her rock.

Hermione let her mind wander through her own personal history, noting that every event which she recalled involved Harry and Ron. Most of all, she let herself think about the small moments which highlighted her friendship with them. There were all the times she had helped them with their homework, partially because she did want them to succeed and partially because it was honestly just so exhilarating to write—words were a magic of their own, one she had discovered before she knew she had other magic within her as well. There was third year, when they had enchanted her hat as a prank so that her hair turned a bright purple, she had only pretended to be upset. Instead, she focused on the fact that they had produced extraordinary magic and that they loved her enough to make her the recipient of their prank. There was fifth year, when they had spent moments together after DA meetings just sitting and being together, reveling in the silence of the Room of Requirement. There was the small moment before Bill and Fleur's wedding when the three of them sat in the Burrow's living room laughing uproariously about a prank which Fred and George had played on Rita Skeeter, enchanting her quill to write a glowing story in the Daily Prophet about Dumbledore which also discredited her own work.

They had been there with her during the harder moments, too, and she remembered how deeply comforted she felt in their presence during their search for Horcruxes. Even the horrendously soul-sucking locket couldn't do its worst because Hermione knew, deep within herself, that she was loved by Harry and Ron.

A new version of _Hogwarts, a History_ was soon to be published, highlighting the events leading through the War for Hogwarts. Hermione had been asked to contribute to the new edition and she had snatched up the opportunity. _Hogwarts, a History_ had always soothed Hermione. It served as a reminder that, with time, everything passes. Perhaps this is why she had always loved history. No matter the chaos of the moment, at some point, that moment would become mere history and would melt into the past. Smiling, Hermione remembered what her father had told her when, at the age of nine, she had been bullied by classmates for her eccentricities. "Love, everything passes with time. When you feel like the world is against you, hold onto your own inner goodness, because it will always be with you," he had said before wrapping her in a hug and taking her for ice cream, a huge treat given her parents' proclivity for avoiding sweets. Reading about the history of her beloved school reminded Hermione that, although she had been involved in the most recent terrible part of the saga, there would be new wonderful events happening in the near future.

Even since the final battle, Hermione had seen her life turning right-side up. Her kiss with Ron, imbued with the passion of the moment, had ignited a brief fire which burned out. In that brief moment, they allowed their feelings toward each other—true love and affection, but not romance—to transform into something they truly weren't. A few months of kisses and affection ensued, but those feelings could not last for either member of the pair, and they ended their romance amicably. _After all_ , Hermione reasoned, _a triangle is the strongest shape, and it is only right that the three of us will be stronger than any two of us alone_.

Hermione had spent the last year in a sort of golden haze of happiness. She had been able to spend long days curled up with a book in the Burrow, where she had moved in and was sharing Ginny's room, working her way through an independent study for her NEWT's. Only a week before, she had taken her examinations, and she felt confident that she had performed well on each exam—except of course there was the fact that she just knew she should have studied the advanced theory behind vanishing charms in more depth, and she completely had forgotten that Mooncalf dung is a particularly strong fertilizer for the Sopophorous plant. Oh, well.

Hermione had secured a job as in the Department of International Magical Cooperation, where she had been assigned to a committee working to ensure the equitable treatment of intelligent magical beasts and beings internationally. She loved her job—the diplomacy and international travel; the hands-on work with house-elves, centaurs, and mermaids; even the paperwork was enjoyable to Hermione because she knew she was making a difference in the lives of traditionally oppressed creatures. One of her primary goals in her work was to legislate in tandem with them, not on their behalf. This seemingly subtle change had altered the relationship between magical beasts and beings dramatically for the better even over the past year.

 _It is a good life indeed_ , Hermione thought to herself as she turned the page to read about the tenure of Phyllida Spore as Headmistress of Hogwarts beginning in 1408. The author of _One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi_ had long been an inspiration to Hermione, as Spore was both an academic and an author, two future aspirations for Hermione herself.

Hermione continued paging through her book until she heard Ron calling for her from the Burrow's back door. She picked up her book and her mug of tea, enchanted to stay permanently warm, and headed back to her second home.


	2. Neville

"Neville! Come in for tea!" yelled Augusta Longbottom.

Neville dusted his hands off on his pants and stood up from the patch of carrots he had just been planting. Although magical plants were certainly his expertise, there was something calmingly simple about working with the most common Muggle plants. He kept two separate gardens, several hundred meters away from each other, for his magical and muggle plants, never again wanting to repeat the mishap of a mutated tomato caused by an introduction of magical fertilizer. It had taken weeks to get all of the seeds out of his hair after the tomato suddenly exploded and left magically sticking seeds all over the garden and Neville himself. At least, he thought, there hadn't been a Permanent Sticking Charm as part of the mutation.

He had spent the previous year studying for his NEWT's under the guidance of his grandmother and reveling in the time he was able to spend in his garden and personal greenhouse. Always something of an introvert, Neville found it truly wonderful that he was able to devote long hours of his day to the earth and to tending his plants. Admittedly, Neville had missed his friends from school, but a year of torture by the Carrows and the final battle at Hogwarts had left him grateful for his family's country estate and for the peace and quiet of the nearby Muggle town.

That being said, a year of rejuvenating rest had been enough and Neville was itching to assimilate again with the world. He had seen his friends a few times over the year—Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Luna—but the five of them were often together, and Luna's rejection of him after the Battle of Hogwarts had stung him harshly. Although she felt no ill will towards him, and said she loved him as a brother. The truth of the matter, she said, was that she was a lesbian. Since then, Luna had been seeing Hannah Abbott and the two seemed very happy together, from the little Neville had seen of them. He had tried to be friends early on, but it was just _hard_ for him to see the woman he loved going on with her life without him. But now, months later, Neville had come to peace with the fact that he would never be more than friends with Luna and was determined to move forward with a friendship with her. She was, after all, a wonderful person and he was genuinely happy that she had found love. Neville made a mental note to owl her that afternoon and she if she and Hannah, as well as the rest of the gang, wanted to come around for tea later that week.

On his way back to the manor, Neville walked past the treehouse which his grandfather had once built for his father, the place where he had first discovered his love for plants. The tree, a milder sprout from the same mother tree which had produced the Whomping Willow, had during his youth reached its branches in through the treehouse's windows to gently tickle him. This was where his love for magical plants had begun. Even at the age of five, he'd found the Whispering Willow, as he called it, to be far more fascinating than the treehouse's magically expanded and enhanced interior. There was something about the way in which the tree was both magical and grounded to the earth which appealed to Neville in such a deep, inner way. Neville knew that he would never be most talented wizard, but there was something about plants which spoke to him.

Thinking about his life as he continued up the sloping lawn toward Longbottom Manor, Neville saw himself at somewhere of a crossroads. He knew that he wanted to leave the seclusion behind and get back into the swing of his life. In his ideal future, Neville hoped he would find himself with satisfying work and surrounded by wonderful, loving people.

Neville entered the sitting room, where his grandmother was perched on a red velvet couch, sipping tea.

"There're a few letters for you, Neville. I left them on the table there."

"Thanks, Gran," he said, pouring himself a mug of tea and opening the first letter.

 ** _Dear Mr. Longbottom,_**

 ** _I am writing to let you know that you received a grade of Outstanding on your Herbology NEWT. Professor Sprout has decided to retire this year, and as such, I would like to offer you the position of Herbology professor at Hogwarts, beginning this September 1_** ** _st_** ** _. Please come send me an owl if you're interested, and we can meet sometime early next week to discuss salary. In addition, this position would involve you stepping in as Head of Gryffindor House—as I will be taking on the role of Headmistress and can no longer be the head of the house, I can think of no one better suited to the position than yourself._**

 ** _All the best,_**

 ** _Minerva McGonagall_**

"Gran!" Neville gasped. "Professor McGonagall has offered me a job, teaching Herbology at Hogwarts this year!"

A slow smile stretched across Augusta's face. Although she and Neville had never expressly discussed it, she knew he had been itching to find something to do, and she could think of no more meaningful work for him to undertake than to become a professor at Hogwarts in his best subject.

The two spent the next several hours talking about the position and happily discussing Neville's future; the other letter remaining unopened and forgotten for the time being.


	3. An Announcement

Hermione entered the Burrow, a little pink in the face from her time in the sun, her book tucked under her arm. Ron stood in the doorway to the kitchen, his expression unreadable even to Hermione.

"Hermione," he said gruffly. "There's a letter for you. We all have one, but you should read it firsthand."

Worried, Hermione crossed the threshold into the kitchen, where the entire Weasley family, Harry, and Luna were gathered. Sitting on the table a letter with her name in spiky black letters across the front, and she noticed that all of the younger generation had a similar letter clutched in their hands. Charlie, Percy, and George were glaring at theirs angrily, while Harry and Ginny grasped hands, shaking as they glanced nervously at each other. Luna looked slightly shocked, but appeared calm. Ron placed his hand protectively on Hermione's arm as she picked up her letter.

Turning the letter over, her fingers skimmed over the wax seal of the Ministry of Magic.

 ** _Dear Ms. Granger,_**

 ** _As you know, the Second Wizarding War has left the British magical population in a dwindling state. It is estimated by expert Arithmancers that, without intervention, in one hundred years the magical population of Britain will be completely extinct. As a result, the Ministry has determined that all witches and wizards between the ages of 17 and 35 will be required to marry in the six months following this July 1_** ** _st_** ** _and to produce two children over the following five years. There will be no loopholes and no exceptions to this law._**

 ** _Each couple will be selected using ancient bonding magic, which will tie the couple for life legally and magically. As such, there will be no divorce, as divorce would be fatal to both members of the pair. Additionally, the bond creates a significant mental intimacy between the pair, although this mental intimacy will manifest differently among different couples. The selection spell is designed to match witches and wizards who are compatible and truly capable of finding deep love—a soul mate spell._**

 ** _As we understand that many of you have formed relationships already, currently existing couples have twenty-four hours to submit their names to the Ministry as a pair for bonding. Couples who submit their names will be bonded in the same manner, and currently married couples will also be subject to the same bonding. In addition, gay and lesbian couples will be allowed to remain together as long as they can find another couple of the opposite sex who can together act as surrogate parents for the children. Those two couples will share the responsibilities of raising their children and so couples should choose with as much discretion as they would use to pick their own bonded partner._**

 ** _Any questions can be sent to the newly created Department of Domestic Affairs._**

 ** _Mafalda Hopkirk_**

For once in her life, Hermione's mind went blank. She was only brought back to the present by Ron's hand on her arm.

"Hermione, we do have the option to submitting our names together to the Ministry. Although our relationship was not what either of us was looking for, we would ensure that neither of us was married to a former Death Eater or someone we don't know at all," Ron said.

Hermione looked up at Ron, her mind all of a sudden working at twice its normal speed. Should she marry Ron? She wouldn't be miserable, and he would take care of her. He had a good job as an Auror, but he would never try to force her to stop working. Ron genuinely cared for her. But on the other hand, Hermione had never felt passion when she kissed Ron, except for the brief moment during the Battle for Hogwarts, but that was probably caused by adrenaline anyways. Life with Ron would be happy, and she would be a Weasley. However, Hermione knew that the man she wanted to marry would be someone with whom she shared adventures and who understood her deep love for her academic life. Life with Ron wouldn't be a life of passion, and Hermione Granger was a witch of immense passion.

"I can't marry you, Ron," she blurted out. "I love you, I really do, but you're more like my brother. You and I should both take our chances at finding true, deep, meaningful love which is exciting. We just can't find that together."

Ron nodded his agreement, and Hermione melted into his arms, grateful that she had a friend who was willing to offer to sacrifice his own potential extraordinary happiness to give her a comfortable life. Settling onto the couch in the living room, Hermione watched the others scurrying about the Burrow as they made their own decisions about how to proceed.

Harry and Ginny, who had found solace in each other's arms, sat opposite her, talking with their heads together. Hermione was sure that the two of them would be happy together, and she was grateful that two of her dearest friends would be married, albeit sooner than they had originally planned.

Luna had left, going to find Hannah and to see if they could find an appropriate male couple who they could present themselves with at the Ministry.

George had sat down to write a letter to Angelina Johnson. Perhaps the old George would have liked the spontaneity of a random assignment, but losing Fred had taken a massive toll on the living twin. Literally, part of him had died. Angelina and George had become closer after the war than they had been in Hogwarts, and they knew how to comfort each other. Hermione thought that, given the terrible experience George had been through, being married and bonded to someone familiar and comforting would be the best possible result for him.

Hermione watched Percy and Charlie pacing in the kitchen. Percy, still working for the Ministry, was debating whether to write to his old girlfriend from Hogwarts, Penelope Clearwater. He hadn't seen her for years, and wondered whether he would be happy with her. Charlie had been single for years, living in Romania. Only after the war had he returned home to be nearer to his family, taking a job he could Apparate to daily, working with Welsh Green dragons in Ceredigion. He was unattached and had no desire to change that, and Hermione knew that this would be a real challenge to him.

Molly and Arthur sat on a couch, her head resting on his shoulder, taking solace in each other in this uncertain time for their family and grateful that at least Bill and Ginny had found wonderful, loving partners.

Once again, she was reminded of her love of history, and thought back about the previous times when marriage laws had been used. She knew it had been put into place several times before, the most prominent in 1608 when a magical plague had taken out a 70% of the Britain's magical population, and the 14th century giant rampage through Russia which killed many wizards and witches. Each time, a marriage law had helped to restore the well-being of the magical community, and so Hermione understood the necessity. The bonding and matching spells were tried and true, and although she was admittedly nervous, Hermione knew that the continuity of the magical world she loved so much depended entirely on the magic population's ability to reproduce quickly.

Hermione let her mind wander, thinking about who she would end up with. Would be someone surprising, who she knew already? Or would be a complete stranger, someone homeschooled or educated abroad? The thought of the endlessness of the possibilities excited her, and she let that excitement take over her body and mind, refusing to let herself consider the chance that she would end up with someone like Vincent Crabbe. For Merlin's sake, it was a shock the boy had never been expelled! Hermione pulled herself back into sanity, there was no way that Crabbe was her soulmate. Perhaps instead she would be matched with someone with a proclivity for Charms, or for Ancient Runes. There were so many options, and, despite the strand of fear she felt, Hermione was honestly excited.

After hours of conversation and excitement with his grandmother, Neville turned to the remaining letters on his table. One announced that he had won a _Herbology Today_ contest, and as such would be receiving a free packet of Snargaluff Pods in the mail. Neville grinned, knowing how hard it was to come by the plant but how important they were in in advanced magical garden. The next letter he opened was printed on heavy parchment, and was addressed to him in sharp black lettering. Prying open the seal on the back, Neville read:

 ** _Dear Mr. Longbottom,_**

 ** _As you know, the Second Wizarding War has left the British magical population in a dwindling state. It is estimated by expert Arithmancers that, without intervention, in one hundred years the magical population of Britain will be completely extinct. As a result, the Ministry has determined that all witches and wizards between the ages of 17 and 35 will be required to marry in the six months following this July 1_** ** _st_** ** _and to produce two children over the following five years. There will be no loopholes and no exceptions to this law._**

 ** _Each couple will be selected using ancient bonding magic, which will tie the couple for life legally and magically. As such, there will be no divorce, as divorce would be fatal to both members of the pair. Additionally, the bond creates a significant mental intimacy between the pair, although this mental intimacy will manifest differently among different couples. The selection spell is designed to match witches and wizards who are compatible and truly capable of finding deep love—a soul mate spell._**

 ** _As we understand that many of you have formed relationships already, currently existing couples have twenty-four hours to submit their names to the Ministry as a pair for bonding. Couples who submit their names will be bonded in the same manner, and currently married couples will also be subject to the same bonding. In addition, gay and lesbian couples will be allowed to remain together as long as they can find another couple of the opposite sex who can together act as surrogate parents for the children. Those two couples will share the responsibilities of raising their children and so couples should choose with as much discretion as they would use to pick their own bonded partner._**

 ** _Any questions can be sent to the newly created Department of Domestic Affairs._**

 ** _Mafalda Hopkirk_**

Neville felt his mouth drop open. He would have to be married! A whirlwind of emotions hit him—this was, of course, a terrifying prospect. He might have to marry a witch who didn't understand his love for plants and for nature, or who thought he was weird, or one of the Slytherin girls who had been so cruel to him in his early days at Hogwarts. But on the other hand, he could be matched with someone wonderful, who provided him with warm companionship he craved. This, along with the new job at Hogwarts, would be his new start. He could truly move on from Luna (though, he admitted to himself, he felt he mostly had by this point). And there was something truly exciting about the idea of having his soul and his magic bound to someone.

"Gran," he said, with a small sparkle in his eye. "I'm getting married."


	4. Matches

Hermione slept surprisingly well that night, with minimal fretting about the letters she knew would be arriving the following night for herself, Ron, Percy, and Charlie. All of them had decided to take their chances with finding love through the matching spell. Harry and Ginny had registered with the ministry the day before. Angelina had accepted George's proposal, also desiring the comfort of an old friend, and they were planning to visit the Ministry later that day to make their arrangement official. Luna and Hannah had decided to pair themselves with Hannah's old Hufflepuff friends, Ernie Macmillan and Justin Finch-Fletchley, who had been dating since after the final battle. Hermione felt happy for her friends.

She decided to make the most of her day, expecting the owls with her match to arrive around 8:00 that night. Although her boss had offered her the day off from work, Hermione decided to go anyways, for something to keep her mind busy during the day.

She was working on writing an agreement, to be signed by the British, German, Dutch, French, Belgian, and Norwegian Ministries of Magic, stipulating for the safe passage of merpeople through the North Sea. The plan would have expert spell-casters from each country create Undetectable tracts of water, where the merpeople would have passage safe from Muggle Ships. Hermione spent her morning drawing up a draft of the law. After a quick lunch with Ron and Harry, Hermione Apparated to Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where she was to meet with the Queen of the North Sea.

Chomping on some gillyweed, Hermione thought fondly for a moment of her old friend Neville before diving into the water to meet the Queen at the appointed location a half mile out to sea.

The meeting went well, Hermione thought later, as she emerged from the water and dried her clothes quickly. _It's outrageous that most witches and wizards would rather never interact with non-humans than have a meeting with them_ , she thought. _It's this sort of species-based bigotry that is the biggest problem facing wizardkind after the demise of Voldemort_. The Queen had made a few suggestions to Hermione, who admittedly felt rather foolish for having forgotten to stipulate in her draft of the agreement that the locations for the Undetectable channels would be chosen by the merpeople. That being said, the Queen had been kind to her and grateful that Hermione had thought to include her in the decision-making process at all. Hermione had stayed past the end of the meeting to have a small meal of fish with the Queen, who had told her a story about the last foolish decision wizards and witches had made about the North Sea. Apparently the British had decided that it would be a good idea to experiment on breeding Dementors who could survive underwater to avoid any underwater escapes from Azkaban. Their failure to consult with the merpeople had led to several terrible altercations with underwater Dementors.

 _Ludicrous!,_ Hermione thought to herself, drying her hair with a wave of her wand.

Noticing the position of the sun in the sky, Hermione realized that she had only a little time before her letter was due to arrive at the Burrow. She quickly Apparated back to the Burrow, finding the whole family, as well as Harry, sitting in the living room awaiting the owls. Squeezing into a place on the couch between Harry and Charlie, Hermione at once found herself in a state of anxiety which she had not felt all day due to her intense work schedule. No one in the Burrow spoke, but there was a collective intake of breath as four specks appeared through the window. As the owls grew closer, Hermione felt her heart palpitating wildly in her chest. All of a sudden the letter was in her hand; that same black spiky writing was on the front, and the same thick red seal imprinted on the back. Hermione knew that there was no going back.

"Well, why don't you take turns," Molly said. "That way it's not so much of a shock all at once."

Charlie went first, his muscular hands quivering at the thought of having to give up his independent lifestyle. His eyes flitted across the paper in his hands, finally a grin breaking onto his face.

"Eleanor Quimby!," he said. "Ell, I call her. She's a dragonologist, just transferred here from Norway after the war to be back near her family. I guess the Ministry's spell did all right here; I was definitely worried I would be stuck with someone who wanted me to transfer back to a desk job! She was two or three years behind me at Hogwarts, a Ravenclaw, I think."

The whole room lit up with the joy of Charlie's discovery; each of them had worried that he, of all people, would be the least happy of everyone.

"I remember her, she was my year at Hogwarts," Percy chimed in. With a slight surge of confidence, he opened his own letters. Scanning it quickly, he announced "Audrey Davis. I've never met her before, but I suppose there's no time like the present."

Ron was next, slipping his finger under the seal and pulling out the letter. "Romilda Vane," he said dejectedly. "I suppose it could have been Bullstrode," he mumbled under his breath. Hermione and Harry exchanged a look, both recalling Ron's brief infatuation with Romilda after he ate love-potion infused chocolates from her. Hermione sincerely hoped that Romilda had grown up a bit since leaving Hogwarts, and did recall seeing her fighting valiantly against Death Eaters in the Final Battle. _Hopefully she has a little more maturity now_ , Hermione thought.

That left only Hermione there with her letter unopened on her lap. Her hands quivered as she picked it up, slipping her finger under the seal to pry it open. Her head spinning, Hermione saw a blur of potentially terrible situations flash through her head: _VincentCrabbeGregoryGoyleDracoMalfoyTheodoreNottCormacMcLaggen_. To calm herself, she read through the entire letter before getting to the name at the bottom.

 ** _Dear Ms. Granger,_**

 ** _As you did not report with a partner to the Ministry within the 24-hour time allotment, you were entered this evening into the pool of souls for matching. We are pleased to say that you have been matched with a wizard who we can guarantee is your soul mate!_**

 ** _We encourage you to be in touch with your match as soon as possible, in order to become acquainted before your wedding, which must take place before January 1_** ** _st_** ** _. We also would like to take a moment to remind you that you must produce two children within five years of marriage._**

 ** _Your match is Neville Franklin Longbottom._**

 ** _All the best,_**

 ** _Mafalda Hopkirk_**

Hermione grinned broadly. "Neville!," she said aloud, and was greeted by yelps of joy from the Weasley family. Ginny kicked her under the table and mouthed "he's gotten very handsome" before winking at Hermione.

Neville was in his treehouse in the Whispering Willow when the owl came, wanting to be alone when his life changed forever. It was strange, he thought, being at such a crossroads in his life. A year ago, after the Battle of Hogwarts, he had wanted nothing more than to be a child again while simultaneously feeling, for the first time, adequate and appreciated for his role as in the Final Battle and in securing Hogwarts during his seventh year there. It was a strange feeling, having transitioned from bumbling, dorky Neville to 'war hero' Neville, as the Daily Prophet had described him. But there was still the part of him which _loved_ being home. He adored the safety and security of his place on earth—his home and his garden. He hoped with every fiber of his being that the witch he was matched with would understand, would be happy to spend time with him there. Of course, he reasoned, he would have to get to know her too, and to learn her quirks and about the places which made her feel at ease. He was, he realized, excited for that, but he did hope that she would accept him for everything he was.

An tawny owl appeared on the horizon, hovering over Longbottom Manor for a minute before soaring out to the treehouse where he waited.

 ** _Dear Mr. Longbottom,_**

 ** _As you did not report with a partner to the Ministry within the 24-hour time allotment, you were entered this evening into the pool of souls for matching. We are pleased to say that you have been matched with a wizard who we can guarantee is your soul mate!_**

 ** _We encourage you to be in touch with your match as soon as possible, in order to become acquainted before your wedding, which must take place before January 1_** ** _st_** ** _. We also would like to take a moment to remind you that you must produce two children within five years of marriage._**

 ** _Your match is Hermione Jean Granger._**

 ** _All the best,_**

 ** _Mafalda Hopkirk_**

Neville felt his mouth split into a broad grin, before he climbed down the ladder to run off and tell his Gran.


	5. Meeting Again

Hermione felt her heart swell in her chest. Neville! He was a good, kind man, and Ginny was absolutely right, he had gotten quite handsome in the years since they had met on the Hogwarts Express. And he had passion for an academic subject! Hermione always knew she needed to marry someone intelligent, and Neville checked that box despite his slow start during his earlier years at Hogwarts. He truly had blossomed, and Hermione was quite thrilled that she would get to spend her life with him. _Quiet and thoughtful_ , Hermione thought to herself, _but definitely not shy, and perhaps one of the bravest men I know_.

Hermione's heart beat quickly in an entirely new way as she sat down to pen a letter to Neville.

Neville had finished talking with his grandmother about his engagement to Hermione, and her cheerful reaction had bolstered his confidence. Of course, he felt extremely nervous about it, because all of a sudden his friendly relationship with Hermione had been pushed down a divergent path. Sitting on his bed, Neville thought about the situation. She had always been this glowing human being, who was always kind to him (if he was being honest, she was even kind when she put him in a Full Body Bind during their first year!). Neville's nerves were high-strung in one sense—what would it be like to love her as more than a friend? To spend all night staying awake talking with her? To hold her hand? To raise their children together? And what would those children look like? To kiss her and…oh Merlin, make love to her? Neville ran his hands through his hair at that thought, letting his mind wander more towards the direction of Hermione's body than he ever had let it go before (though he would be lying if he said he hadn't at least _thought_ about it before). She certainly was the brightest witch of her age, inside and out. Hermione _glowed_. And she certainly would accept Neville for everything he was. _This_ , Neville thought, _will be the best thing that could have possibly happened to me._

A tap on his window alerted him to a large barn owl perched on his windowsill. Its proffered leg showed a note featuring his name in handwriting he recognized as Hermione's. Neville hopped off of his bed and eagerly snatched up the note.

 ** _Dear Neville,_**

 ** _Well, this is a happy surprise for me, and I hope it is for you as well! I hope this doesn't make our relationship at all awkward. I've been researching the law and, although it is unusual, it makes complete genetic sense and has historically been an effective way to ensure that a magical population does not die out. I sincerely hope that you and I will be happy together—I think we can._**

 ** _Would you like to meet with me sometime tomorrow so we can talk all of this through? It will be a Saturday, so I figure we are both likely to be free. How about Flourish and Blotts at 12:30? They've recently opened up a café there which I've been dying to try._**

 ** _Lots of love,_**

 ** _Hermione_**

Neville's excitement glowed obviously on his face as he scrawled a reply quickly that yes, there would be no greater joy to him than to meet with Hermione tomorrow at 12:30.

"Ginny, there's no need for me to dress up! I'm just meeting Neville; we've known him for years!"

Hermione found herself, somewhat against her wishes, pulled into the bathroom by her overenthusiastic, self-appointed personal stylist, Ginny Weasley, at 10 in the morning. At least Ginny allowed Hermione to bring her books on CD into the bathroom, one of the only pieces of holdover technology which Hermione kept from the Muggle world. Hermione just found that there was nothing in the magical world which could compare with the soothing sound of a good book on CD or tape. As she listened to one of her favorite classic Muggle stories, A Tale of Two Cities, Ginny worked her magic on Hermione. Her bushy hair was smoothed down with Sleekeasy's, and her makeup was expertly applied (minimally, as per Hermione's insistence). Fortunately, Hermione persuaded Ginny to allow her to wear her own clothing, rather than one of Ginny's form-fitting black dresses. _Perhaps it's a good idea that I asked Neville to meet me in a bookshop_ , Hermione thought.

Neville stood in front of his mirror, wondering if he should wear a button-up shirt or something more casual. He knew that he had developed into a good-looking man—some Muggle girls in the nearby village had tried to get him to go out for coffee with him just the other day—but sometimes it was a challenge to see himself that way. He decided on a dark blue button-up with jeans as a mix between the more formal and casual look. After dressing, Neville saw that he still had over an hour before he was meeting Hermione, and ended up pacing up and down near the garden, which calmed his nerves substantially until the time came for him to go meet Hermione.


	6. Flourish and Blott's

Neville arrived at Flourish and Blott's fifteen minutes early, eagerly nervous to see his betrothed. She arrived ten minutes after he did, a vision in a red blouse. He rose to meet her, pulling her into a natural hug. Hermione clearly was happy to see him too, and admired how his shirt displayed his physique. Hours in the garden had clearly done him well! They walked into the bookshop, and Hermione was truly delighted to see the café tucked among the bookshelves, and they sat down at a table among the biography section.

After ordering lunch—a chicken salad croissant for her, and a turkey burger for him—they fell into a natural conversation about how their lives had been over the past few months since they had last caught up.

Hermione told Neville about her work at the Ministry, in particular about her work on the Undetectable merperson travel routes. In fact, she had a conference next month in a Norwegian fjord to finalize the details of the plan with representatives from each of the countries bordering the North Sea and the Queen. Neville was happy to hear that Hermione had remembered the properties of gillyweed and had been able to utilize those properties for the good of the international magical community.

Neville told Hermione about his new job at Hogwarts as Herbology professor and Hermione beamed with joy at hearing that news. She had known about Neville's academic passions but there was something wonderful about the fact that he was using his passions to help raise the youth of the wizarding community. Neville would be the youngest professor at Hogwarts by far, and that thought thrilled Hermione. Hermione's mind, now brought to the subject of children, was reminded of their impending nuptials.

"Well, Neville," she began. "I suppose we shouldn't ignore the hippogriff in the room. We have to be married by this January, and as it's already June, that doesn't give us a lot of time. But I think I would like to leave our wedding until at least the middle of the fall so we have some time to just try dating each other first. Of course we can't back out, but I'd still like to go out on dates with you first."

Neville grinned, and nodded his agreement. "Let's make this our first date, then," he said. "I'd like to get to know you better now that we're out of school and because we haven't seen each other much in the past few years."

The pair spent the next few hours sitting and reminiscing about old times and talking about their future, speaking preliminarily about how they wanted to go about their life together. They spoke about wanting to have two or three children, and Hermione made it clear that she refused to take Neville's last name, though she would think about hyphenating. _I love her drive and spirit_ , Neville thought.

After lunch, the pair strolled down Diagon Alley, window-shopping and chatting more. Neville shivered a little as Hermione looped her hand through his arm, latching the two of them together and making him feel like they really were a couple who had chosen each other rather than being matched by a spell. At least, Neville thought, that spell was supposed to have matched them with the best possible person from among the wizarding community.

They wandered into Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, both of them glad that George had been able to continue work which was meaningful to him in the aftermath of Fred's death. Angelina was there, helping him with the shop, and she came over to say hello to Hermione and Neville.

"I heard you had been matched! Thank goodness you ended up together; I heard Parvati was matched with Goyle, poor thing," Angelina informed them, as the all ducked to avoid being hit by what appeared to be a flying miniature stuffed goat. "George has been working on some merchandise to thank Aberforth for everything he did during the war," Angelina explained.

After wandering around the shop for a while, Hermione and Neville returned to Diagon Alley. Checking her watch, Hermione looked apologetically at Neville. "I really have to get going now. I promised Molly I'd be back to help finish cooking dinner. But would you like to have dinner on Wednesday?" she asked.

Neville nodded his assent, and said "I'll pick you up at 6 o'clock at the Burrow, if that works."

Before she Apparated away, Hermione stood up on her tiptoes and kissed Neville's cheek. After she vanished, he stood there for a few minutes, his hand happily on his cheek, thinking about how soft her lips had been and hoping he would get to feel them again soon.


	7. Wednesday

Neville woke up early on Wednesday morning with a grin on his face. Two incredibly important moments of his life were happening that day. He would be meeting with Professor McGonagall to discuss the details of his new position as Herbology professor at Hogwarts, and he had a date planned with Hermione. He knew that he wanted to make it the best date ever, and had been spending the past few days planning every detail to make it perfect for her.

At 10:00 sharp, Neville flooed directly into McGonagall's office. Fortunately, he managed to land securely on his feet, and spilled only a minimal amount of ash on the carpet. Casting a quick _scourgify_ , Neville straightened himself and strode forward toward the witch seated behind the desk.

"Professor McGonagall!" he said happily. "It's fantastic to see you!"

"I'm happy to see you too, Neville. And please, call me Minerva. We're colleagues now," said Minerva.

Neville smiled and affirmed "Minerva."

"Now, Neville, let us talk about your position. You'll receive the usual starting salary of 25,000 Galleons per year, as well as the usual benefits for a professor, room and board," said Minerva. "I understand that you have recently become betrothed to Miss Hermione Granger. An excellent match, if I do say so myself."

Neville grinned at this, nodding his head in agreement.

"I am aware that Hermione is working for the Ministry; should she choose to live here in Hogwarts with you, we will set up the fireplace in your quarters to the floo network so she can get to and from work easily," Minerva continued. "In addition, I heard that she has been invited to update _Hogwarts, a History_ , and I see no better place for her to do that than Hogwarts itself. And you know just as well as anyone that Hermione cannot bear to live far away from the library. She is a lucky witch that Hogwarts is home to the finest magical library in the world."

Now that living arrangements had been discussed, Neville turned the conversation toward the specifics of the position. "So," he asked, "what will I be expected to do in my duties both as Herbology professor and as Head of Gryffindor House?"

Minerva explained his duties in detail. Neville would be expected to teach classes twice a week for each year. In addition, he would teach one extra session for fifth years who were working on their OWL's and for seventh years who were working on their NEWT's. Neville would be expected to attend at least one meal daily in the Great Hall in order to ensure that all of the students were supervised properly. As Head of Gryffindor House, Neville would be expected to check the Common Room nightly, and to hold community events once a month. Because he was Head of House, his own apartment would be located nearby, tucked behind the portrait of the Fat Lady's friend, Violet.

Neville stayed in Minerva's cozy office for several hours, chatting with her about how his life had been. She also told him about how lively and wonderful Hogwarts had been over the past year. Remembering with too much clarity how his seventh year had played out under the rule of the Carrows made Neville extremely glad that Minerva was at the helm of the school. _Perhaps_ , he thought slyly to himself, _now the Room of Requirement can go back to a place where hormonal teenagers go to snog. It will be nice to chase third-years out of there, rather than hide there from vicious Death Eaters._

Finally saying his goodbyes to Minerva, but with a promise to see her in mid-August before the semester began, Neville ducked back into the fireplace and returned to Longbottom Manor to prepare for his date with Hermione.

Neville had sent Hermione a message via owl earlier that day with instructions for how to dress. He told her to wear something formal, but which she could dance in. As he prepared himself for the date, he grew increasingly excited. A crisp white shirt, suit coat, and scarlet tie with gold stripes—Gryffindor forever—made up his outfit.

Finally, 6 o'clock neared, and Neville prepared to Apparate to the Burrow. He picked up the gift he had prepared for Hermione—a potted Ever-Blooming Lily, which he had bred himself in a plot of land behind his home. He hoped she liked it.

Arriving outside the gate of the Burrow, Neville took a deep breath and knocked. The first thing he heard on the other side was some sort of screaming.

"RONALD WEASLEY! HOW DARE YOU BUY ME A PINK BRACELET AS A GIFT! I SPECIFICALLY TOLD YOU I ONLY LOOK GOOD IN COOL SHADES!"

This outburst was followed by Ron muttering "Sorry, I didn't realize. I thought light pink would be okay."

Hermione opened the door at this point, grinning at Neville and saying "Ron and Romilda still haven't figured out how to get along very well" as Romilda could be heard saying "Well, at least I can transfigure it to something that's actually flattering."

Neville hardly heard her words, though, because he was soaking up the beautiful image of Hermione Granger ahead of him, smiling slyly. Her hair had been pinned up into an elegant updo, and she wore a floor-length elegant yet simple black dress. Navy blue heels peeked out from underneath.

"Hermione, I brought you a little something," Neville said shyly as he handed her the Ever-Blooming Lily.

"Oh, Neville, this is lovely! I can sense your magic on it; you must have bred it yourself! I love it!" Hermione effused. She grabbed her purse, and took his arm, slipping out of the Burrow door.

"It's probably easier that the Weasleys are all busy watching Ron and Romilda fight. Otherwise we wouldn't make it out of here for another hour, what with Molly's fawning and Arthur's new discovery of the Muggle camera," she joked.

Once they passed the gate, Neville Apparated with Hermione by his side.

As they arrived, Hermione's eyes grew wide. Paris! They stood on a small side street, but Hermione recognized the Parisian style instantly. It was her absolute favorite city.

"This is a wonderful wizarding restaurant," Neville explained. "Gran told me that my parents used to come here when they were first dating. I thought I should take you here."

They slipped into a small door and up a flight of red-carpeted stairs, and as they entered the restaurant Hermione felt her mouth gape in awe. One entire wall of the room was made of glass, which overlooked the entire city. She could clearly see the winding Seine and the Eiffel Tower. This, perhaps, Hermione thought, was the best place she had ever been.

They took their seats, at a table set for two right near the large window. Neville grinned shyly at Hermione and told her that he had already requested the house special to be brought to them. As they waited for their food, they began to talk.

"Neville, you mentioned that your parents came here when they were younger. Do you still go visit them often?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, I go every week," he responded. "In fact, I've been looking for a cure to the intense sort of Cruciatus Curse they underwent. I'd like them to be back in my life, and I am hoping that through Herbology research I can find a potion to bring them back to how they were. How are your parents?"

"I have not seen them since before I left with Harry and Ron last summer," Hermione responded sadly. "I performed such a strong Memory Charm on them that I haven't been able to lift it. I visited them in Australia, but wasn't able to lift it. They just thought I was a traveling saleswoman."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, both contemplating how much they both had been through. During that time, their food arrived. A few bites in, Hermione spoke up again. "Neville," she said. "I imagine we could help each other. You are brilliant at Herbology and I am very good at Charms. I wonder if there is a way in which we could together find a way to bring our parents back to us."

Neville's eyes shined with happiness at the thought. "Yes, Hermione," he said. "I think that could be truly wonderful." To himself, he thought _this is the most amazing witch in the world_.

After they finished eating, the waiter asked them to stand up. They obliged, as did the other patrons of the restaurant, and with a wave of the maître d's wand, all of the tables vanished and the floor turned into a beautiful mahogany dancing floor. As Hermione felt herself pulled into Neville's arms, she thought to herself _perhaps I have never been this happy. He is truly amazing_.

After an hour of dancing, Neville asked Hermione if she wanted to go for a walk. Never the type to turn down a walk in Paris, Hermione obliged and the two left. They strolled, arm in arm, along the Seine, as the conversation flowed.

They decided that Hermione would take up McGonagall's offer to move into Hogwarts. It made sense, Hermione reasoned, for them to live together before they were married. It was, of course, the only progressive thing to do. And because of the January 1st deadline for their impending nuptials, the pair would be married in December for a lovely winter wedding. Perhaps, Hermione mused, they could marry at Hogwarts, the place they first met. She felt her mind drifting off to her wedding gown. It surprised her how excited she truly was about the wedding. _After all_ , Hermione thought, _I'm usually more into books and I'm rarely a girly girl_.

In the silence which followed those decisions, Neville turned to Hermione to ask her an important question.

"H-H-Hermione," he quivered with the gravity of what he was going to say. "Will you marry me? I know we have to be married, legally speaking, but I want to ask you, because I care very much about you. I want to ask you because I think you're the most beautiful and brilliant witch I have ever had the privilege of meeting. I want to marry you because I think I can grow to be in love with you in a way I couldn't with any other witch."

Neville opened a small velvet box, which had been weighing down his pocket all evening. He opened it, revealing a slim gold band set with a deep red ruby. "I thought it was just right for you," he blushed. "It's so much more special than a diamond, and Gryffindor colors fit your spirit perfectly."

"Yes, Neville! Yes, I will marry you. I love it, and I also believe I can grow to be in love with you" Hermione's eyes glistened with a few tears. Neville slid the ring onto her left finger, and his right thumb reached up to wipe the tears off of her eyes.

"Hermione, why are you crying?" he asked.

"I'm so happy," she said. "But I'm also sad that my parents aren't here to know that I'm engaged to the most wonderful man who I know."

"I promise you, Hermione, I will do all I have in my power to help you to find them," he said solemnly.

And with that, Neville leaned down to kiss Hermione on the lips. The kiss was soft and slow, but warm and full of potential for the glorious future which awaited them. A few minutes into the kiss, Neville realized that his hands had slipped around her waist and _Merlin_ , he thought, _they fit perfectly here._ Hermione smiled into his lips and ran her hands through his hair one more time before pulling away. They stood there together for a few more minutes, inhaling each other's scent, before she looped her hand through his arm and he Apparated her back to the Burrow.

"I'll see you soon," he said, stealing one more kiss before he Apparated back to Longbottom Manor.


	8. Longbottom Manor

Hermione awoke on Friday morning in the room she shared with Ginny as a loud pecking noise surrounded her. Rubbing her eyes, she saw Neville's owl outside of her window. Although she was tired from a long night of reading, she pulled herself out of bed and opened the window. Tossing the owl an Owl Treat, Hermione sat down to read the letter enclosed.

 ** _My dear Hermione,_**

 ** _Gran's been begging me all week to introduce you to her. Care to come by for supper at 6:30 tonight? I can't wait to see you, and I want to show you around my garden._**

 ** _Love,_**

 ** _Neville_**

Hermione quickly penned a reply so as not to keep Neville's owl waiting.

 ** _Dear Neville,_**

 ** _I would absolutely love to have dinner with you and your Gran (I hope that's what I should call her)! I'll see you at 6:30 sharp. I can't wait to see your garden. If the Ever-Blooming Lily you gave me is any example, I'm sure it's the most phenomenal garden in the world._**

 ** _Love,_**

 ** _Hermione_**

Hermione spent the remainder of the day working on some of the research for her updates to _Hogwarts, a History_. It was going to be a lengthy project, Hermione knew, but would be her way to leave her mark on the academic world at a startlingly young age.

Hermione was starting earlier than the period she had lived through, as Bathilda Bagshot had began her work with the period leading up to Dumbledore's defeat of Grindelwald. Although Dumbledore had passed, Hermione was certainly pleased to know that he had been a great man. _It was truly an honor to have known the man_ , Hermione thought with a smile. Hermione was pleased that her work on the book would allow her to learn more about all of the events which had led up to the creation of the man who she knew was so wonderful. Hermione also thought about how glad she was to be able to include the presence of house-elves in the new edition of the book. After all, they were beings too, who deserved their say. It really was a shame that each previous author had excluded them.

After a busy morning of research in the cozy attic of the Burrow (the ghoul had been evicted to the tool shed a few months prior in order to create a proper study for Hermione), she went to join Harry and Ron for lunch. Both of them had skipped their NEWT's in order to become Aurors. Their status as war heroes had granted them that privilege. Hermione had been offered a job too, but preferred to use her talents in improving the lives of other beasts and beings.

They met for lunch at a Muggle café near the Ministry. Harry and Hermione both raised their eyebrows as Ron bemoaned that his silverware didn't butter his bread and that he had to perform the task on his own.

The three began discussing their partners. Harry, of course, was blissfully happy with Ginny. Hermione had to remember to knock when entering her room, as there was about a 34% chance at any given time that the two of them would be in a state of undress on Ginny's bed. Harry had proposed officially to Ginny, and the two were planning a mid-September wedding. They had been together long enough, and were about to move to Grimmauld Place permanently.

Hermione shyly told her best friends about her relationship with Neville. She had to roll her eyes at some of the questions they asked her.

"So, 'Mione, did he kiss you yet?"

"He better have."

"He better _not_ have. That's our 'Mione you're talking about. With Neville."

"Honestly, boys!" Hermione chimed in. "Yes, we have kissed. But don't worry Ron," she said as the redhead obviously tensed. "He was a perfect gentleman."

The conversation turned to Ron's relationship with Romilda, and his mood turned sour.

"We can't stand each other. She's still mad that she missed out on a chance with a potion-fueled rendezvous with Harry, and she's holding that against me. Bloody witch," Ron said with a grumpy look on his face. He explained that they had decided to marry in November, because Romilda would be starting a new job with Gringotts in December.

After departing from the company of her dearest friends, Hermione went for a jog through Greenwich Park before Apparating back to the Burrow for a shower and to change.

At 6:30 sharp, she Apparated to Longbottom Manor, where she found Neville waiting for her outside the door.

"You look brilliant, Hermione!" he said, kissing her cheek.

Placing his hand on the small of her back, Neville led Hermione inside, where his grandmother was waiting in the cozy kitchen. Hermione stiffened at the sight of a house elf setting platters out, but Neville comforted her by whispering in her ear that the elf, Lonny, was paid a fair wage and had every Tuesday off.

Neville's Gran swept Hermione up in a huge hug and swept her to a small table set for three. After Hermione was seated, Lonny uncovered the platters of food set before them, and the three dug into the meal. It turned out, to Hermione's happy surprise, that all of the vegetables had been grown by Neville himself. Gran asked Hermione a variety of questions about her life and occupation, as well as her thoughts for the future.

The three began to discuss wedding plans, and Gran thoroughly approved of Hermione's decision for a Hogwarts winter wedding, noting that Neville's parents had been married in the winter as well.

"I'd like to take you dress shopping," Gran told Hermione. "It's a Longbottom family tradition that the grandmother of the groom is involved in the selection."

"I would love to have you come with!" Hermione said. "However, I promised Molly and Ginny I would go with them, but we'd love to have your company on the trip."

Gran smiled, and, as the meal was winding down, suggested that Hermione and Neville go for a walk around the gardens as she and Lonny cleaned up. As they were heading out, she leaned in to whisper to Neville "You've done well for yourself, dear. I'm very happy that she will be joining the family."

Neville and Hermione wandered out into the garden, where Neville showed her all of his plots—the basic, Muggle garden with vegetables and a few flowers, the magical garden surrounded by wards to prevent the plants from wreaking havoc on the grass, and the experimental garden where Neville was working on his own projects.

As they strolled, Hermione spotted Neville's treehouse high in the branches of the Whispering Willow.

"Can I see it, Neville?" Hermione asked. "When I was a girl, I had a treehouse too. I used to bring my books up and spend the entire day reading. I just loved it."

Neville obliged, and the two ascended the ladder to the treehouse. Neville arrived a few moments after Hermione, and saw her standing in the window, overlooking the fields of heather which surrounded Longbottom Manor in all directions. _Wow_ , Neville thought. _She looks beautiful, the way the wind blows in her hair like that_.

"What did you say?" Hermione questioned?

"I didn't say anything!" Neville responded.

"Neville, I definitely heard you, but it was clearer than any words. I think our bond is starting to form! It seems to be manifesting so that we can hear each other's most intentional thoughts. I believe that our bond has opened because of our mutual love of the treehouse." Hermione effused. "Perhaps it's a bit silly, but I think that both of our childhoods were so firmly tied to treehouses that it has opened a sort of portal between our minds."

Then, as if to test her theory, she thought _kiss me_ as intentionally as she possibly could.

In an instant, his lips were on hers. His strong body wrapped around hers, crushing her in a sensation of safety and warmth. Their lips explored, this time with more passion and confidence than they had exhibited in their first kiss. This kiss was warm and a little needy. Perhaps it was the opening of the bond which had drawn them together. The bond not only transmitted their thoughts, but also their emotions. Hermione could feel Neville's joy, and as it switched to a slightly more animalistic urge, she reciprocated with full force. It was amazing for both of them, how strongly they could feel each other's emotions.

The kiss intensified, and Hermione could feel Neville's body reacting just as intensely as his mind. His hands began to roam all around her body, traveling tantalizingly up and down her back, and dipping down below to cup her ass gently. She moaned, leaning into his embrace, and he gripped her even more tightly. Their lips explored each other manically. She felt his hot mouth slipping across her cheek and down her neck toward her collarbone. "Neville," Hermione whispered audibly.

All of a sudden he pulled away, and Hermione was worried for a split second that something was wrong. Instead, she heard his sultry voice calling her through the bond. _Let's go_ , he said. _Gran will have gone to sleep by now. Her room is on the opposite side of the house._

All of a sudden, Hermione found herself Apparating along Neville's side. She found her footing and looked around to see Neville's room. It was grand, like every room in Longbottom Manor, with purple velvet drapes on the windows and around his four-poster bed.

Neville felt suddenly shyer than he had before; the intimacy of having Hermione in his bedroom was almost too much to handle for him. She sensed that, and pulled him into another kiss. His hands began to tentatively explore her body again, and her hands threaded up through his hair. One of them snaked down his back, and then he felt impulsive, and picked her up, tossing her lightly onto his bed before crawling next to her.

His hands moved up and down her body, setting off waves of tingles in her. She felt his arousal brushing against her thigh, and moaned slightly, grinding her hips against him. Encouraged by her obvious attraction to him, he allowed himself to allow one hand to creep up towards her breasts, somewhere he had never been before with a woman.

As his fingers brushed the fabric of her bra, Neville suddenly felt nervous again. _Hermione_ , he whispered through the bond, _I've never—you know—been with a woman before_.

She sat up, and cupped her hand around his face. "Neville, I promise you, we can move at whatever pace you're comfortable with."

Feeling assured, he pulled her down next to him to kiss her tenderly. His hands threaded through her hair, and they kissed quietly. The intensity of the previous moments had faded somewhat, and had been replaced with a quieter intimacy.

"Hermione," Neville asked. "Will you spend the night here?"

She happily assented, and borrowed his owl to let Ginny know where she was as he transfigured here some pajamas.

Crawling into bed felt like heaven to both of them. For once, they both felt completely secure and safe. With their bodies tucked together, everything felt right in the world.


	9. Experimental Magic

One month later, Hermione and Neville had settled into a happy routine of seeing each other every few days and writing to each other by owl on the other days. It was a warm day in early August, and the two had happily enjoyed several brilliant dates over the previous month. They had gone for picnics in the countryside around Longbottom Manor, had explored Muggle London, and Apparated to Germany to hike near Bavarian castles. They had even found a little treehouse tucked in the hills surrounding one palace, and had enjoyed an hour of sitting in it, chatting.

They also had continued to plan their wedding. They decided to hold it on December 28th, after most of the students had returned home for the Christmas holidays, and Hermione had suggested they hold the ceremony and reception in the Great Hall. Their honeymoon was planned for a week immediately after the wedding in Zanzibar—beaches _and_ important and interesting history at the center of the former Indian Ocean slave and commercial empires, Hermione advised. She knew that, while the abolition movement had been going on, there had been a similar abolition movement freeing house-elves of Zanzibar and Madagascar, the only such vast elf-abolition movement the world had ever seen. What else could a witch possibly want? And on mainland Tanzania was a fascinating wizarding desert plant sanctuary with the world's largest selection of magical cacti.

They had been shopping for wedding bands together, and had found a matching set of slim gold bands, which had been sent to the Ministry for the proper spells to be applied.

It was a Saturday, and Hermione was scuttling around the Burrow, helping Molly prepare lunch. This particular lunch was going to be special, as it was a gathering of all of the Weasleys and their fiancés, as well as Neville, as Hermione was considered an honorary Weasley. In addition, Gran had been invited, as Hermione and Ginny had made an appointment at Madame Malkin's Bridal Emporium, an offshoot of the popular clothing store. Molly had prepared a beautifully scrumptious spread of hearty sandwich materials along with a massive amount of pudding. Hermione wasn't even sure that the Weasley sons would be able to put it away.

Once everyone had arrived, the kitchen was packed to the gills. Bill and Fleur, who had come by to meet the fiancés, chatted with Percy and Audrey in a corner. The latter pair had come to thoroughly enjoy each other's company. Both were efficient, and Percy was especially pleased to learn that Audrey, a former Ravenclaw, had taken a job as an accountant for Gringotts.

Charlie and Ell had taken up a lively conversation with Molly, and Arthur. Hermione overheard Molly attempting to persuade Charlie to cut his hair, _just_ for the wedding, but she smiled contentedly when Ell came to his defense.

Hermione had joined Harry, Ginny, Ron and Romilda. Romilda had wheedled her way to stand next to Harry, who was showering attention and affection on Ginny. Romilda and Ron were ignoring each other, except for when they shot each other nasty glares.

Hermione was amused by the four, and was quite content watching their interactions. After several minutes of it, she felt a light kiss on the top of her head, and looked up into the smiling face of Neville. Leaning her head back, they exchanged a chaste kiss, though Ron found it necessary to clear his through loudly. Still, despite the simple nature of the kiss and Ron's quiet heckling, Hermione felt a tingle through her spine,

As everyone sat down at the table, conversation flowed smoothly and happily, except, of course, between Romilda and Ron, who still were glaring at each other.

After everyone had eaten their fill—somehow, the pudding had all been consumed!—a few waves of Molly's wand sent all of the dishes cleanly back into the cupboards.

"I've got to head out now, love," Neville told Hermione. "I'm on my way to meet Minerva for lunch!"

"Good luck!" Hermione said back to him, kissing his cheek as he grabbed a handful of floo powder and spun off with a yell of "HOGWARTS!"

With the dishes done, Molly, Gran, Ginny, and Hermione left the Burrow and Apparated to the bridal shop.

Hermione felt almost overwhelmed by the sea of white and cream-colored dresses she saw. Fortunately, she had three other extremely determined witches with her, and she found herself mostly standing in one place as Ginny, Gran, and Molly threw dresses at her. Once she and Ginny had about 10 each in a dressing room, they all headed back to begin trying them on.

Ginny went first, trying on a stark white strapless gown with a massive skirt, but it washed out her pale complexion and was discarded quickly.

"Here, Ginny, try this one," Molly said, but the gown was rejected immediately for its ruffles. Instead, Ginny chose to try on another simple ball gown, this one ivory, a much better match for her skin tone. After several more options were tried on, the ivory gown was decided upon and tried back on, and Ginny stood up and spun around and around, looking at herself in the mirror.

Hermione instantly spied a gown which she thought would be absolutely perfect, one she believed Gran had picked out from the racks. She could see why—it was a snow white gown with tiny embroidered vines and flowers around the hem, bewitched to move as if swaying in a breeze. The gown was more modest than Ginny's, with small cap sleeves and a gently curving neckline. Hermione slipped into the gown.

"Wow," breathed Ginny.

"This is the most amazing, perfect gown," warbled Molly with tears in her eyes.

"You look like a queen," added Gran.

"I feel amazing in this dress," Hermione said. "It's practical, because I can breathe in it, the cut is flattering, and I love the embroidery. I know that the botanical nature will make Neville happy."

Making their purchases and leaving the shop, the four women made their way down Diagon Alley, stopping off at the Leaky Cauldron for dinner.

Neville flooed into Minerva's office, and found the older witch sitting by the fire with a few cups and a pot of tea. Beside her, on a perch, sat Fawkes the phoenix, who looked on contentedly.

Neville sat in the empty squishy armchair next to Minerva, and the two began to chat about the impending school year. Neville had begun planning his lessons, and was particularly looking forward to teaching Mandrakes to the second years. He remembered the biggest Herbology mistake he had ever made—not putting his earmuffs on well enough and fainting—and was happy to think that he, that twelve year old boy, had gone from passed out on the floor to teaching the class. The conversation turned to the marriage law as Minerva asked Neville about Hermione.

"She's doing brilliantly, as always. I think she and Gran are out with Molly and Ginny today, buying wedding dresses," he said with a slight blush.

"I've been thinking," Minerva said, "that you and Hermione should move in next week. Of course, term doesn't start until September 1st, but that will give you a solid chunk of time to move in and decorate your quarters, as well as for you to become reacquainted with the greenhouses, and Hermione with the library before students return."

Neville nodded his agreement.

"Have you and Hermione started planning your wedding yet?" asked Minerva, smiling.

"Yes," Neville responded, "we've decided on December 28th, and we'd like to have it in Hogwarts' great hall, if you don't mind."

Minerva nodded her assent, and Neville continued. "The only problem is our parents. Obviously, we'd both like to have them with us at the wedding, but mine have been in St. Mungo's for years and Hermione Obliviated hers last year, and they live in Australia now."

"And you'd like to figure out how to release them all from their magical shells?" Minerva asked.

"Yes, that is correct," Neville said. "We're hoping that having access to the library at Hogwarts will be a good place for Hermione to look at reversing the magical damage to their minds, and that I can use the greenhouses for my experiments."

"I'd like to be of help, if I can," Minerva offered. "Of course, you are both free to use all of the resources of Hogwarts to bring them back. Do you have any leads?"

"Unfortunately, not," Neville said. "Hermione was reading about the theory of the reversal of magical damage, but as you know, most of that research has come from the Accidental Magic Reversal Squad, which mostly focuses on modifying the memories of Muggles who have witnessed magic, which is useless because Hermione's parents are Muggles, or St. Mungo's, but they have tried without success on my parents for years. We think we will have to find something completely new."

"Have you thought about combining types of magic?" Minerva suggested. "It's a highly experimental field, but preliminary studies suggest that a potion with tricky wandwork can be more effective than one or the other independently."

"We haven't, but I think it makes sense to try," Neville said.

Neville rose to leave, and as he hugged Minerva goodbye, she said to him "I think that with you and Hermione on a team together, you'll be able to bring your family back."


	10. Moving In

The big day had arrived, and Hermione and Neville would be moving into their new apartment in Hogwarts. Minerva had added their fireplace to the floo network, so it would be easy for them to come in and out as they pleased.

Hermione had packed her belongings in her small beaded bag—what things that bag had seen! It was impressive that her charm had lasted so long. Hermione took one last look around the room she shared with Ginny. No, that was ridiculous. She would be here many times in the future—her friendship with Ginny and the other Weasleys would long outlast any move. And thank goodness for the Wizarding world; because of it, Hermione would be able to instantly travel to see them as often as she wanted. She certainly wanted to!

Hermione walked downstairs with her bag, and found the Weasleys sitting in the kitchen. Moving around and hugging them all, Hermione smiled with a few tears in her eyes. She truly loved the family, and they had been there for her when she realized that her parents could not recover. Although she would never stop trying to bring her parents back, there was something wonderful about her knowledge that she was so loved by a family.

There were Molly and Arthur, who had become her second parents and had loved her as fiercely as their own daughter. Bill and Charlie, who had taken on the roles of teasing big brothers. Percy, who Hermione had grown to truly enjoy conversation with. He could be stuffy, but he was also smart and truly dedicated to his work. George, with whom she had cried after they both had faced unspeakable losses. Ginny, who felt legitimately like her sister. Moving among them, giving strong hugs, Hermione knew she was loved by the family. And then Hermione arrived in front of Harry and Ron, and the three fell into a hug.

"Mione, we love you always. And we'll always be here for you," Ron said.

"You're moving in with a good bloke, but if he does anything to hurt you, we'll pounce on him in an instant," Harry said, simultaneously joking and menacing.

 _Ready?_ She said through the bond, and heard Neville's response of _Yep_.

With one last, long look at the Burrow, Hermione Disapparated.

Neville had been finishing packing his trunk and with a wave of his wand the last few pairs of socks folded neatly until—pop!—Hermione appeared instantly in his room.

"Ahh! You scared me; I didn't think you would come directly into the room," he said.

"Well," she responded coyly, "I've gotten quite used to spending time here, and so I knew that I had a good enough understanding of the room to make sure I landed safely."

With this, Neville scooped Hermione up into his arms and pulled her in for a sultry kiss. Her hands ran up through his hair and his traced their way down her back, stopping to play with the hem of her tshirt. Goosebumps formed along her skin wherever his hands touched her back, and she kissed him more passionately. Their hot mouths pushed up next each other, Hermione's tongue gently sliding along the back of Neville's teeth. He moaned slightly into her mouth at the feeling, and pressed himself closer to her body. His hands continued to explore downwards, finding her jeans and rubbing down underneath them.

Although Neville had thought about it many times, he and Hermione had yet to sleep together, although she had firmly hinted her desire to do so. Neville wanted his first time having sex with Hermione— _with anyone, really_ , he thought—to be special, and he knew it would come soon. He smiled internally at the suggestive pun, but it only strengthened his already hard erection.

Neville pushed his hips toward Hermione, who moaned into his mouth. With a fluid motion, he picked up her willing body, and threw her down onto his four-poster bed. Sending a silent locking charm at the door and a silencing spell throughout the room, Neville pulled Hermione's shirt off with a fluid motion.

Reaching behind her to unhook her bra—he had become quite adept at this despite some initial fumbling a few months ago—her lovely breasts burst free and he began to worship them with his tongue.

 _Neville_ , Hermione moaned aloud. Through the bond, he could feel her emotions, simultaneously burning with relaxed and energized. He felt amazing knowing that it was him, and only him that was giving her those feelings.

The clock in Neville's room struck 1:00, and he reluctantly pulled away. They were already late to meet Minerva to move into their new apartment. At least they would have privacy there, and could continue later. Neville smiled

They dressed quickly, and Neville grabbed his trunk.

"Where's your luggage, Hermione?" he asked, confused.

Hermione held up her beaded bag. "Undetectable Extension Charm," she said with a wink.

 _She really is the brightest witch of our age_ , Neville thought.

One after another, they walked to Neville's fireplace and, with a toss of floo powder and the words "HOGWARTS!" spun into Minerva McGonagall's, office, hoping it wasn't _too_ obvious that they had been snogging so intensely just minutes before. At least they had both managed to get their buttons on straights, but Hermione's wily hair was even bushier than usual and Neville did look mildly starstruck.

Minerva noted this with a smile, recalling her own youth, and welcomed both with a hug.

"Now, let me show you straight to your chambers," she said.

The trio walked out through the corridors of Hogwarts, stopping near the Fat Lady's portrait at the entrance to Gryffindor Tower. She was busy chatting with her friend Violet, in the portrait next door.

"Violet, if I could have a word," Minerva said.

"Yes, dear?" responded Violet sharply.

"This is Professor Neville Longbottom and his fiancée, Hermione Granger. Neville will be the new head of Gryffindor House, and as usual, this will be their home. I trust," Minerva said, "that you will be most amenable to them."

Violet sniffed at having to leave her glass of wine, but told Neville and Hermione that she would recognize them from now on, and that they would not have to set up a password. "In the case that someone disguises themselves as you and attempts to sneak into your flat, I will prevent them from coming in. I'm _very_ good at detecting intruders," she added proudly.

"Thank you," Neville said.

"Well, I will see you both at 7:00 for dinner in my apartments," Minerva said. "I'm having a small get-together for the whole staff. I look forward to seeing you this evening." Minerva departed, sliding through a door which had been pretending to be a wall.

Neville and Hermione smiled at each other and Violet swung open, allowing the pair into their new home. Both of their jaws dropped to see the beautiful living room. It looked just like a smaller version of the Gryffindor common room, with the same squishy couches and crackling fireplace. A small portrait of Albus Dumbledore smiled down on them, along with every other Gryffindor Headmaster or Headmistress of Hogwarts.

Several doors stood at the other end of the room, and Hermione strode across and opened the first one. It contained a cozy kitchen and dining room, so that Hermione and Neville could enjoy meals together without several hundred loquacious teenagers in the room.

The next door was home to a more formal dining and living room for entertaining guests, still decked out in bright scarlet and gold.

The following door opened into a beautiful study with tall bookshelves and a beautiful bay window overlooking the Hogwarts grounds.

"This is your study, Hermione," Neville said. "Look, the room even seems to have adjusted to provide many of the books you'll need for your work on _Hogwarts, a History_!" Sure enough, the room contained tomes covering the previous thousand years of wizarding history, and Hermione joyfully ran her fingers along the spine, eager to begin her work.

The next room truly made Neville's mouth drop open in shock and joy. It seemed that the flat had adapted a room especially for each of the, as this room was a fantastical indoor conservatory and garden, complete with an enchanted ceiling like the one in the Great Hall. Massive amounts of plants grew in the room, which easily stretched several acres through magical expansion. Perched in a tree near the entrance was a lovely treehouse, and Hermione and Neville exchanged thoughts of joy through their bond and the sight.

Neville didn't want to leave, but he also wanted to see the rest of the flat and knew that he would be able to spend man hours in his own personal paradise, nourishing the plants which resided in the garden.

The next two doors included smaller guest bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, but the final door was the most amazing room of all—Neville and Hermione's room. It contained a massive four-poster bed, similar squishy armchairs to those in their living space, and, most magnificent of all, an entire wall made entirely of windows overlooking the lake. The windows had been enchanted to appear from the outside as the same stone walls which made up the castle. The en suite bathroom had a tub large enough to be a swimming pool, which both were excited to use.

Hermione threw down her bag with a thump and launched herself at Neville, wrapping him in a hug. Their excitement was so much that he picked her up and spun her around. Their elation turned suddenly into lust, and Neville tipped his head down to kiss Hermione. She responded enthusiastically, moaning a little as his tongue met hers.

Neville latched one hand firmly in her soft hair, letting the other drift down her back until he reached her ass, which he began to sensually rub. Hermione's hands ran up into his hair, and her kisses matched his passion.

"Oh, Hermione," he moaned into her mouth.

One of her soft hands moved up underneath his t-shirt, and he felt his both twinge as she tweaked his nipple softly. Then, all of a sudden, she was removing his shirt with one fell swoop, and her hot tongue was working its way down her cheek and over his collarbone, sneaking its way deliciously down his chest, until Hermione was kneeling in front of him with a sly grin on her face. They had never quite gone this far before, but Neville was truly excited. He felt her kissing the area under his navel as her fingers deftly undid his pants and he stepped out of them.

Now Neville was completely naked except for his boxers, which were straining against his rather large erection. Hermione's hands slid up and removed the undergarments, attaching her hot mouth to his cock.

Neville groaned loudly; thank goodness they were completely alone. He felt Hermione's tongue sliding up and down his cock, and looking down, he saw her eyes smiling back up at him and knew that this was something she truly wanted to do.

The truth was, Hermione had long loved anything sexual, since she was first with Viktor Krum, but this was by far the best experience. Neither Viktor nor Ron could compare, size-wise, to Neville, and neither had maintained such expert grooming of his nether regions as Neville did. Hermione slurped happily on the cock in front of her, which was attached to the man she had been growing to love.

Neville ran his hands through Hermione's hair as he felt her tongue working its way from base to head, and then she took five or six inches of his dick into her mouth. _Merlin that feels amazing_ , he thought, and heard Hermione's seductive giggle return to him through the bond.

All of a sudden, Neville felt himself tensing up and said "Oh, Hermione, I'm going to—" before he came in great gobs in her mouth. Hermione swallowed his cum and slowly let his cock slip out from her mouth with a grin.

"Merlin," Neville said. "I have never felt so amazing."

"Just wait until we're having sex," Hermione said slyly.


	11. Norway

Hermione awoke on the morning of September 14th early, eager to begin her day. After months and months of preparation, she would that day be traveling with Kingsley via portkey to Norway to meet other delegates from around the North Sea region. Hermione hoped that by Thursday the 16th she would be able to return home in order to properly prepare for Harry and Ginny's wedding that Saturday morning. As Ginny's maid of honor, Hermione took both her job with the Department of International Magical Cooperation and her role as best friend equally seriously. Rolling away from the bare-torsoed man lying next to her, Hermione slipped to the bathroom to begin preparing for the biggest day of her professional career yet.

Before her departure, she kissed Neville goodbye as he sleepily contemplated getting out of bed. Hermione cast a warming charm on the room, and it seemed to have some effect in luring him out from under the toasty covers.

"Good luck," he mumbled from his nest. "You'll knock the pants off of the Norwegians." Hermione grinned, stepped into the fireplace, and flooed away as Neville rose to continue with his day.

Hermione was, as usual, the first one to arrive in Kingsley's office, even before the Minister himself. She sat in a plush armchair near the desk and cracked open her briefcase, in which she had tucked notes from the time of Armando Dippet, Dumbledore's predecessor. Hermione was busy writing about the period in which Tom Riddle had opened the Chamber of Secrets and found the Headmaster's fears, worries, and confusion at the time enlightening. She read his notes about Hagrid— _it seems unlikely that he would have committed such acts, as I thought he wouldn't hurt a fly, but the evidence is fairly damning_ —and about Tom Riddle- _such a dear boy, I don't know how I would manage to keep the morale alive without his encouragement_.

 _A good historian must not make judgements about her subjects based on personal biases,_ Hermione reminded herself with a deep breath, although she very much wanted to write a scathing paragraph or two about Dippet's dip into madness in his trust for Tom Riddle.

Hermione was relieved to see Kingsley enter his office, accompanied by Hermione's boss, none other than Percy Weasley, who had been promoted after the end of the war but had lost some of his pompous edge. Percy shook her hand firmly, informing her (much to her delight) that she was perfectly capable of representing the department in Norway without him, as he had a dinner planned with Audrey's parents that evening and wanted to ensure he was punctual.

With a wave of his wand, Kingsley prepared the Portkey, a rather gnawed-upon old pencil, and he and Hermione each grabbed an end and were off. Hermione was rather pleased when she landed firmly on her two feet; international portkey travel often made her especially queasy. It always took a little longer than travel within Great Britain, as there was a customs spell which swept in and took account of their belongings before they were granted safe landing in Oslo. Fortunately, Hermione had only packed for one night so it was relatively straightforward, but she still felt a little uncomfortable. Shaking her head to blow off the headache, Hermione straightened up and marched into the Norwegian Ministry of Magic with Kingsley.

They were greeted by Roald Dahl, the Norwegian Minister of Magic, who, much to Hermione's delight, had not actually died in 1990. Instead, he had faked his death in the Muggle World where he had acquired some fame as a children's author—Hermione, of course, had long felt an affinity with Matilda, a girl much like herself who summoned objects seemingly with her eyes and read an exorbitant amount; even as a child she could not deny that she had somehow belonged in that world—and returned to his native Magical Norway in order to live out the remainder of his days leading the nation. So it was with intense excitement that Hermione pumped his hand and discussed with him the inspirations for Willy Wonka (Florean Fortescue, of course) and James and the Giant Peach (an unfortunate amount of Skele-Gro Potion).

Eventually, it was time to start the proceedings, and the Ministers and Hermione all swallowed gillyweed and dove into the fjord upon which Oslo sits. The Queen of Mermaids was of course pleased again to meet with Hermione, and all of the Ministers seemed amicable to the plans to create channels for mermaids to travel safely.

By the end of the evening, a formal agreement had been mostly drafted, but hungry (and desiring something more than fish for supper), the humans retreated with promises to finish the agreement at 9:00 sharp the next morning. Hermione returned to her lodgings for the night, a comfortable but small room in a charming bed and breakfast run by some Latvian wizards who had moved to Norway, and was happy to find a note from Neville filling her in about his day.

 _Dearest Hermione,_

 _I hope your day was splendid. Let me tell you about mine. This morning, I taught 7_ _th_ _year Slytherin/Gryffindor double Herbology. Remember Dennis Creevy? He's turning out to be quite brilliant with plants; he seems to have spent his summer engaged in experimental cross-breeding and has come up with a Mandrake whose screams can't harm a person. Isn't that incredible? I remember passing out in Herbology once early in our Hogwarts days because my earmuffs weren't fastened tightly enough. Professor Sprout never has let me live that one down._

 _I miss you, but I've been extraordinarily pleased to feel the passion you feel towards your work pushing at me through the bond. I know we're far away but it's rather like being close to you. I've been thinking today (not while in class with students, keep your gorgeous dirty mind out of the gutter there!) about how much I can't wait to be close to you again physically. I keep imagining your incredible tongue, just as good at making me scream as it is elaborating about werewolf rights before Wizengamot. I should stop writing now before my pants grow too tight; I have to teach another class in 10 minutes._

 _Have a beautiful evening, my multitalented witch._

 _Love,_

 _Neville_

Hermione grinned at Neville's suggestiveness, pleased that she had brought along a vibrator to keep herself occupied for the night without his quick tongue or incredible fingers. She settled into bed with vibrator (as a Muggleborn, Hermione certainly knew when to appreciate non-magical inventions) and made a note to introduce the purple silicone object to Neville as soon as possible. Although they still hadn't had sex yet, Hermione knew that soon she would get to ride Neville as she had taken to dreaming about. That night, she imagined them in the empty library, kissing up against the bookshelves of the Restricted Section. Hermione's walls clenched around the toy as she pictured Neville bending her over a desk in the library and massaging her clit as he pounded into her. _Soon_ , she thought. _Soon_.

The next day Hermione was up before the sun, ready to finish off the job she had begun the day before. The Ministers had all gathered in the fjord once again, and Hermione knew that it would be quick work and she would be back in her apartment at Hogwarts in time for a shower before heading to the Burrow to prepare for the wedding.

After setting out the specific routes which would become Unplottable, dividing up tasks between varying governments, and getting the Ministers to sign the document, Hermione smiled with the knowledge that her job had been well-completed. It was only a little after 12:00 when she and Kingsley took the portkey back to his office, signed document in hand.

"I know it's Harry and Ginny's wedding this weekend," he said. "Why don't you head home early today? You've done incredible work with this agreement and you deserve to start your long weekend early." Happy to hear her work praised and also a little shivery from the North Sea, Hermione agreed and flooed back to Hogwarts.

She was surprised to see Neville in their apartments, and he scooped her up with a kiss as a greeting.

"Neville! What brings you here? Don't you have class?"

"It's been cancelled for the afternoon; McGonagall wants to have an all-school meeting to talk about unicorn breeding in the Forbidden Forest, and that's a little out of my zone of knowledge so I took the afternoon off. I was planning to get some reading done, but now I feel like it's much more likely that I'm going to spend time with you," he added in a sultry, smooth voice.

"I could use a hot bath," Hermione mentioned. After a second, she added "would you care to join me?"

Neville's face lit up at that thought; to see his witch naked and to rub her down with suds—well, the truth of the matter was that he was getting very hard, very fast. "I'll run the bath, love."

Five minutes later, Hermione was sinking into the massive pool-like tub in their ensuite bathroom, and Neville slid in behind her. Sensuously, he took handfuls of suds and began to rub them up and down her neck and shoulders. With each pass, he slid a little further down her torso, both calming her and causing incredible excitement to pool in a wet heat in her nether regions. Hermione could feel his dick hardening behind her and, as his hands reached her slippery breasts, she felt it slip in between her ass cheeks. He had found himself a seat at the edge of the bath and pulled her onto his lap, sliding his rock-hard cock tantalizingly over her clit and pussy. She bounced a little, squeezing him between her legs, and he rewarded her efforts with a groan.

His hands, meanwhile, had given up at spreading suds over anything but her nipples, which were hard despite the steamy room. His mouth had moved to her neck, and his tongue was drawing smooth little circles on her skin.

Hermione twisted around on his lap, moving one hand down to feel his incredible hard dick and to slowly begin to pull it in the most glorious of ways. Not wanting to dirty the pool with what surely was to follow, Neville scooped Hermione up and laid her down on the edge on top of a towel, before swooping down to kiss her breasts and move his way down towards her waiting clit and pussy. His tongue worked absolute magic on her, darting in and out of her and it was only a short while until she came, moaning his name aloud. He lay next to her, and her nimble fingers worked to finish him off in short time. The two lay together, spent, before slipping back into the bath and soaping each other down before slipping into bed for a long nap together.


End file.
